Toilet tissue dispenser



Oct. 23,1956 H. E. MCCANTS TOILET TISSUE DISPENSER Filed Oct. 18, 1954 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,767,930 TGILET TISSUE DISPENSER wHugh E.;McCants,:HoustQn, Tex.,- assignor to Reserv-A-iRoll Company Application ctober'18; 1954; Serial'N 0. 463,020 3 Claims. (CL- 242-1553) This invention :-rela-tes.. to eartielei dispensing Ernachines wand:rmore partienlarly stun-machines fon dispensing. toilet tissue =in rolls.

This application is a continuation-impart:of: my co- I pending, application, ,Sl.la1,- NO. --353,,533, filed May 7, 1-953.

; Theprincipal object-of the'presentrinvention is todis- :courage'pilfering; of toilettissue from public rest rooms .--rel'ationship, estroll beingrthe-only: one accessible :to thetuser-but which e iselocked against other thanrotativemovement for the why transientsandothers,causing-financial loss-rand in- .convenience for rthQSC responsible for the :maintenance of the --restrooms.

."rAIIOthGI'ObjeCtDf theinveution-isto provide an inex- -p,ensive;.-but .efiicient toilet tissue dispenser which isdetisig ned to be. either :rece

ssiediin; azwall orssuspended thereon but in any case, is adapted to contain, insuperimposed -aplurality of .rolls oftoilet-tissue, the lowdispensing of, tissue.

. Another object a of; the invention .is to "providea toilet paper idispenser cabinet: which: is:.-hinged at its' bottom for outward tilting,pdisplacement f0r..;filling. and is lockwable ina,-closed' position;,fthereabeing in the. cabinet.:but

.oneri opening torexpose. a; single troll zil] dispensing :position; except-for. {SHlfillISlQtSTOF,WlIIdGWS in the sides :of the cabinettordeterminmtheineed :for replenishment.

Still another: object "of;;the,.'invention' is: tof provide a means for collecting. and storing rspindles or rollers :from

.-.-whieh ,the :toilet paper: has: beendispensed. -:Such: de-

1 pleted' rollers yare ing gmea-ns: :atithe'zdispensing positionxand drop into' 'the ipressed downwardly past-fthe restrainbottom :of theicabinet :fr0m :Whioh theyv are collected-for reuse- Whenythea cabinetis; ereplenished, f thusobviating xtheeannoyanceiand expense of 'lossor misplacement 0f the rollers.

Other: objects {Willi appear ias the description proceeds when consideredwithrthe; annexed iidrawing,:=wherein:

:Figure l-;is; a-side view ofthe invention in -vertical section.

. Figure Zais; afront :elevational view with parts broken away.

Figure. 3:,isa top plan view 'with: a portion of the cabi- "net broken :away; and

Figure 4 isazrfragmentaryaperspectivewiew:showi-ng the means for? restraining a roll ofpaper inkziispensing position.

Continuing with: a more detailed -view= of-"-the drawing,

denotes; generally-the cabinet conwith-parallel sidefianges 14 which..are receivedrbyvthe cabinefshli'll when the latter is in closed position. The cabinet has elongate beads or ribs 15 formed in each side wall and spaced inwardly from the rear edges thereof to reinforce the cabinet. A suitable key lock 16 seecures the -icabinet ;-in;closed position-L to ;,-prevent-,.:1.1nau- .thorized removal' of paper rolls therefrom.

.also conventional and each has The, paper rolls-are each indicated by referencenumei'al 1:17- and theserare of conventional, manufacture,-azeachzcontaining, the-usual cardboard: core. -In order'to fadaptthese rolls to .thedispenser herein disclosed,;it.is"only :necessary to insert a spindle 1810f :wood :or othersuitable material into the;.core; of "the: roll of paper. ".These spindles-are apintle;;19 formed ton eaclnend of adiameter less than thatgof the spindle-itself.

' by spotwelding or-by :,:w ebs:of the channels 21.

' although the. drawing shows :the midsectionof the-:tracks; the channels 21 turndown- -.ward .in a forwardlyv direction; and

1 causes'the lowest roll lowered on :its hinge :opening" 25 in the front of the To the interior'surface of: eacht'side .wallof the cabinet 10 is secured a track 20. :The tracks'arefidenticaliexcept for reverse construction whichidisposes themsinriconfronting relationship to -recei ve opposite .endswiof. the

spindles 18. The-tracksareeach die formed inone piece to define a channel21 and side-flanges 22 andi23. The tracks-;,are secured :to the side wallsaof the cabinetilll as rivets, :as indicated at 24, in :the

It willbeobserved that the inpper vertical 'portionsof the tracks, 20 are or can be .of sufiicient. length .asi: toaccommodate asmanyrolls17 of paperv as may be desired, but two. 1 At a point below are. again directed This arrangement of the tracks '17 of the column of rolls to be the cabinet 10 through a dispensing cabinet. This opening 'has vertically downward.

thrust partially out of .inthepaths of the pintles"19:as they movedownwardly in the. channels 21.

Luihe.-arms:30. are-eaoh pivoted: at its lower end to the lowersend 0f: ai'track fiange 23 by means of a-rivet'32 .having a-.countersu'nk head. i The arm extends upwardly and rearwardly and -is iturned -to extend'upwardly and forwardly so that its.upperwend lllmay -extend-into a channel 21 through a vertical slot 33 in one-side thereof. One corner-'oftheupper end ofeacharm- 30 is removed tol'form a flat portion' 34 which bears against the wallof the channel '21" opposite the slot 33.

-=A-1substantially -Ushaped restraining and releasing -lever 1 35 isprovided to actuate the arms 30, its function xbeing :two-fold. Primarily,

" .37. which enters a channel- .wall thereof. 1 Eachi leg- 36-ofthe lever 35 is'spot welded --at: 39.to a respective arm 30 sothat'the arms will'move the lever 35 restrains a roll -17 of toilet tissue in the dispensing position shown and also functions-to:displacethe arms 30 to releasethe next succeeding roll 17 :When thefirst roll is depleted.

Tihe lever l'as has-parallel legs 36, each having an end 21 through a slot--38 in'one -:when"t-he lever-moves. Normally, the lever-35 is held .with'. its legs extended' into' the channels -'21 through'the medium 'of the arms-30by'means of leaf springs 40, each p'channel ,21,:: the "springs being .afiixedz-at tll.at its upperend to arear wall of a .being' disposed to bear against to resist outward displacement of the arms, thereby holding the lever 35 in extended or operative position.

As stated previously, the first roll of tissue entering the cabinet will be intercepted in the vertical portion of position the tracks by the upper ends of the arms 30. These arms will be moved manually outward to allow the first roll to pass downwardly to the dispensing position but in the meantime, the arms 30 are permitted to resume the shown in Figure 1 so that the ends 37 of the legs 36 of the lever 35 will intercept the first roll and hold the same in dispensing position. The magazine composed of the tracks 20 is then filled to capacity with tissue rolls whereupon it is closed and locked.

In operation, toilet tissue is removed from the bottom roll 17 until depleted, leaving only the spindle 18 supported by the ends 37 of the legs of thelever 35. By slight pressure imposed downwardly on the empty spindle or roller 18, the lever 35 is thrust inwardly against the resistance of the leaf springs 40. The empty spindle 18 will thus be released and will fall into the space 42 provided therefor in the bottom of the cabinet from whence the rollers are removed for reuse.

Simultaneously with the actuation of the lever 35 with the described result, the arms 30 are moved on their pivots 32, causing their upper ends 31 to recede from their respective slots 33 in the walls of the channels 21, thus removing the supports from under the spindles 13 of the next succeeding roll of tissue 17, permitting it to drop downwardly in the tracks. Before the spindles of the roll 17 reach the dispensing position, the springs 40 will have returned the arms 30 to their normal supporting position to intercept the next higher roll 17 while at the same time returning the lever 35 to its normal supporting position to intercept the roll just released by the arms 30.

It will be observed in Figure 1 that the spindle 18 carrying the tissue roll in dispensing position cannot be removed from the machine even when all of the paper has been unwound therefrom. Therefore, the rollers or spindles cannot become lost or misplaced and are always found in their proper place in the bottom of the cabinet when it becomes necessary to restock the cabinet.

To determine when the cabinet requires restocking, windows 43 are provided in the side walls through which can be seen the tracks 20.

It is evident from the foregoing that losses sustained by rest room owners because of pilfering of toilet tissues is reduced to a minimum and however small these losses may be, the annoyance occasioned by such pilfering is considerable but is also obviated by the invention.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for dispensing toilet tissue from rolls, comprising a cabinet closed except for a dispensing opening in its lower front, opposed confronting channels on the side walls of said cabinet adapted to receive the ends of spindles carrying said rolls in superimposed relationship in said cabinet, said channels each having an upper vertical portion midway of said side walls, a lower vertical portion disposed forwardly adjacent said dispensing opening and an inclined portion interconnecting said vertical portions, an arm pivoted at its lower end adjacent the lower end of each of said channels and having its upper end engaging in the upper vertical portionfof said channel to support all but one of said tissue rolls, means connecting said arms for simultaneous movement, means carried by said arms adapted to engage in the lower vertical portions of said channels to define supports for the spindle of said one of said rolls in dispensing position of the latter in said dispensing opening, means biasing said arms into channel engaging position said biasing means being overcome by finger pressure downwardly on an empty spindle in dispensing position to retract the support of said arms to release said empty spindle into said cabinet while releasing the next higher roll to replace said empty spindle in dispensing position, said arms resuming their positions in support of said released roll and the remainder of rolls, respectively, under the action of said biasing means.

2. A machine for storing and dispensing toilet tissue from rolls, each having a spindle, a cabinet closed except for a dispensing opening in its lower front, confronting channels on the side walls of said cabinet receiving the ends of the spindles of said rolls in superimposed relationship, said channels extending downwardly, forwardly toward said dispensing opening and downwardly therc'oelow, a first means spring biased into said channels above said dispensing opening for intercepting the spindles of all but one of said rolls, a second means stationary with said first means normally biased into said channels opposite said dispensing opening for intercepting the spindle of said one of said rolls for accessibility of the latter through said dispensing opening, said first and second means comprising, respectively, a pair of curved arms pivoted at their lower ends to the sides of said cabi net and whose upper ends engage in said channels above said dispensing opening and a member in fixed relationship with said arms and extending into said channels at said dispensing opening, said first and second means being retractable by finger pressure on an emptied spindle to replace the latter by the next higher roll, said first and second means resuming their positions in said chan' nels under the action of said biasing means to support the replaced rolls.

3. A machine for storing and dispensing tissue from rolls having spindles, comprising a cabinet closed except for a dispensing opening in its lower front, said cabinet having a wall plate to which it is hinged along its lower inner edge for tilting displacement during replenishment thereof with tissue rolls and means for locking said cabinet to said wall plate, a channel on each side wall of said cabinet, said channels being in confronting relationship to receive the ends of spindles carrying rolls in superimposed relationship in said cabinet, a first means slidable in said channels above said dispensing opening to support the spindles of all but one of said rolls, a second means rigid with said first means for supporting the spindle of said one of said rolls adjacent said dispensing opening, said first and second means comprising, respectively, a pair of curved arms pivoted at their lower ends to the sides of said cabinet and whose upper ends engage in said channels above said dispensing opening and a member in fixed relationship with said arms and extending into said channels at said dispensing opening, spring means biasing said first and second means into said channels, said first and second means being simul' taneously retractable from said channels by downward pressure imposed on an emptied spindle supported by said second means to release said spindle into said cabinet and to release the next highest roll into dispensing position to replace said empty spindle, said first and second means resuming their positions in said channels to support the superimposed rolls and the replacing roll, respectively, under the action of said biasing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

